RiverPhoto Gallery

Evan Moore Tows Into Bus-Eater
Ottawa River - July 1, 2008 - Photo: Stephen Wright

Evan Moore 12, son of co-owner Tom Moore is spending 4 weeks paddling the Ottawa River in Canada. He's enrolled in the famed "Keeners" program for teen kayakers wanting to learn how to playboat from some of the best playboaters in North America.

Sierra South Upper Kern Raft Trip
Limestone Run - June 29, 2008

One of the Upper Kern's most exciting and scenic sections is the Limestone Run. A favorite of rafters and kayakers alike, the run winds its way through pines and dramatic rock outcrops and down big rapids such as Limestone and Joe's Diner. It's great ride in a spectacular area!

Corey Volt - Super Freak - Dry Meadow Creek
Photo: Randolf Green

Corey Volt paddling the drop Super Freak on Dry Meadow Creek. (Photo by Randolf Green.)

Alex Morris - Needlerock Creek - Forks of the Kern
Photo: Bryant Burkhardt

Alex Morris paddling Needlerock Falls rapid on the Forks in his new Jackson Superhero. (Photo by Bryant Burkhardt.)

Stein Beals & Jessica Subido Qualify for National Junior Team

Congratulations to Stein Beals and Jessica Subido who qualified for the USACK Whitewater Slalom National Junior Team this past weekend in Golden, Colorado. A high five also goes to Nick Wilkening, paddling well in his first team trials, and placing 7th out of more than 25 boaters in the Men's K1 class.

Sierra Snow - GOES-11 Visible Satellite
Thursday, May 29, 2008

It was cool over the Memorial Day weekend in the Kern Valley, but nowhere near as cold as say Mammoth Mountain, where 16.5 inches of snow was recorded from May 22 to May 26. The equivalent of about 8 to 10 inches of snow was recorded by snow sensors at the higher elevations of the Kern River basin.

CNRFC AHPS/EPS Projection for 1-Day Inflows to Lake Isabella May 14 to July 14, 2008

California-Nevada River Forecast Center's latest Short Term Snowmelt Forecast, released May 14, now projects the 24 hr. average inflow to Lake Isabella will peak May 20 at about 3500 cfs. Note that this is an average for the day, and includes a small contribution from the S.F. Kern. The flow on the S.F. Kern is currently at about 210 cfs.

Mystery Boater Paddling Vintage River Chaser Kayak in TJ Slalom

Sunday, with the flow at Riverside Park at about 1200 cfs, Eric Giddens and Eric Jackson swapped out their creek boats for slalom boats and went at it again, in the Tom Johnson Slalom. Eric Giddens had a touch on the second run, but was fast enough to finish ahead of EJ for the K-1 Men's win. Rebecca Giddens raced in the K-1 Men's class and placed third. Eric Giddens will be setting the slalom course for the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

12 yr. old Evan Moore - 2008 Kern Festival Brush Creek Race

In the third official running of the Brush Creek race, Eric Giddens finished first in the Men's K-1 class with a time of 2:51.92. Second in Men's K-1 went to Macy Burnham, with Eric Jackson third. 2004 Olympic Silver medallist Rebecca Giddens won the Women's K-1 class with a time of 2.59.69 -- the fourth fastest time overall. Amanda Marusich and Lynn Siodmak followed in second and third. Dane Jackson won the Junior Men's K-1 class in a time of 3.04.99, with Spencer Josif second, and Evan Moore third.

Sierra from SQF Sherman Peak Webcam #1
February 25, 2008 at about 8:10 a.m.

Wow, check out the new Sierra snow from SQF Sherman Peak webcam #1! As much as 6 inches snow water equivalent -- about 5 ft. of snow -- was recorded by snow sensors in the Kern River basin since last Thursday.

HPC 24 hr. Precipitation Forecast
Ending February 24, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

Heavy snow is forecast for the Sierra over the next 24 hours. Good moisture, optimal orographics and strong dynamics are forecast to produce over 5 inches snow water equivalent in some locations. By Monday, most of the snow sensors and courses in the Kern River basin could be at or above April 1 seasonal norms.

Olancha Peak from SQF Sherman Peak Webcam #3
February 12, 2008 at 10:41 a.m.

With 15 of the 16 Kern River basin snow course measurements in, California Cooperative Snow Surveys reports the average February 1 Kern snowpack at 142% of normal for the date. Three courses are above 100% of the normal April 1 total!

NOHRSC Sierra Snow Water Equivalents
January 28, 2008

It's ironic, but true, we're nearing the end of January in a La Niña year and the Southern Section of the Sierra snowpack is reported at 125% of normal -- still ahead of the the Northern Section at 118% and the Central Section at 99%. Statewide the average was reported at 111% of normal -- up from 99% just a week ago.

AHPS Precipitation Analysis
For the 7 day period ending January 7, 2008 4:00 a.m. PST

Wow! According to today's Summary of Snow Water Equivalents from California Cooperative Snow Surveys, the series of storms that pounded the Sierra the last several days has increased the Southern Section Sierra Snowpack to 131% of normal for the date! The Northern Section was reported at 112% and the Central Section at 101%. Statewide the average was reported at 111% of normal -- up from 60% at the end of 2007.

12z GFS Forecast 60 Hr. Precipitation Total
For the period ending January 7, 2008 4:00 p.m. PST

ARL analysis of 12z GFS data generates about 4.5 inches of precipitation in the Southern Sierra in the area of Kern Point in the Thursday to Sunday timeframe. When orographic enhancement is factored in, the system looks like it has the potential to be a prodigious producer of snow at the middle elevations (~6500') and above.

SQF Sherman Peak Webcam #4
December 9, 2007 at about 4:45 p.m.

Snow! And as can be seen in this Sherman Peak webcam shot -- lots of it! Last week's storm dumped as much as 4 inches snow water equivalent (SWE) at the middle elevations of the Kern River basin around 8000 ft. This translates to around 40 inches of snow!

Breckenridge Fire Lookout Webcam #1
November 30, 2007 at about 8:30 a.m.

Aweb cam view toward Tobias Peak is from the Breckenridge Fire Lookout at 7548 ft. in Sequoia National Forest.

Sierra South co-owner Marianne DeChant
River Cleanup - November 10, 2007

Kern River Fly Fishing shop, across from Sierra South, sponsored a river cleanup on November 10th . Judy, Donni, Marianne, and Marc from Sierra South along with friends and family pitched in to help Guy Jeans, owner of the Fly Fishing shop and guide service. FS River Ranger Brian Cosgrove gave us a safety talk and provided the trash bags. It was a great turn out with 45 people participating. We scattered along the Upper Kern River focusing on areas close to the river where the trash would be underwater or swept downstream with the spring run off. The trash was not so pretty, but it felt good to be doing something for the river we love. Brian and Guy hauled away 10 truckloads of trash!

Tom Gelder on the Thunder Run
November 6, 2007

Kernville locals Tom Gelder and Dennis Veale have been taking advantage of the great Autumn weather and doing low water runs on Thunder Run and Cable. Judging from Tom's water drenched smile, they're having a great time.

Kern River Upstream of Upper Salmon Falls
October 21, 2007

Even with the River low, Autumn is a great time to visit the Kern Valley. The trees are changing, the weather is cooler, and there's time to do a little fly-fishing, climbing, or to go for a hike or a mountain bike ride.

UCSD Tioga Pass Cam
September 27, 2007 9:54:52

An unseasonably strong upper level low produced some snow at higher elevations of the Sierra last weekend. Some of that snow can be seen on the peaks near Tioga Pass in this UCSD web cam photo. The Tioga Pass Entrance Station elevation is about 9,945 feet.

Upper Level Low Spinning Off the Coast
GOES-11 IR 9/20/07 8:30 a.m. PDT

An unseasonably cold, deep and energetic upper level low spinning off the coast of California has brought with it Winter like temperatures and a chance of showers, thunderstorms, and snow at the higher elevations. The snow level in the Southern Sierra is forecast to start out at about 8000 ft. today, and then drop down to around 6500 ft. on Saturday.

Winter Precipitation Outlook
Issued 8/16/2007

Virtually all international dynamic coupled climate models are forecasting cooler equatorial Pacific SSTs this Fall, trending towards neutral conditions this Spring. As a result, most longer range outlooks are similar to this Nov-Dec-Jan Precipitation Outlook from the CPC, and somewhat typical of a La Niña, with an increased chance of higher than normal precipitation in the Pacific northwest and a increased chance of lower than normal precipitation in the southwest.